Last and apparatus for removing footwear therefrom

ABSTRACT

The invention discloses improvements in the removal of finished footwear from the last used to bond the sole to the upper and in such lasts.

United States Patent 1191 1111 3,863,284 Liebscher 1 Feb. 4, 1975 LAST AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING FOOTWEAR THEREFROM [56] References Cited [75] Inventor: Anton I. Liebscher, Waynesville, UNITED STATES PATENTS 873,060 12/1907 Loewer 12/135 A [73] Assignee: Ro-Search, Incorporated, g g

' 5 0 man 1 1 waynesvme No 3,317,940 5/1967 Ludwig 12/135 R [22] Filed: Jan. 29, 1974 [21] App]. 37 75 Primary ExaminerPatrick D. Lawson Attorney, Agent, or FirmDos T. Hatfield Related U.S. Application Data [62] 13)i8v(i)s3io6n5gf Ser. No. 299,130, Oct. 19, 1972, Pat. No. [57] ABSTRACT The invention discloses improvements in the removal [52] U.S. Cl 12/135 A of finished footwear from the last used to bond the [51] Int. Cl A43d 3/00 sole to the upper and in such lasts. [58] Field of Search 12/135 R, 135 A, 133 R, 3 Claims 2 Drawing Figures 12/133 B A w I I I I I I I 3 I 2 I I L I s l I 1' D I I I I I l? l 100 I B r L Q 1 n1 1 z I l LAST AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING FOOTWEAR TIIEREFROM This is a division of application Ser. No. 299,130, filed Oct. 19, 1972, and now US. Pat. No. 3,803,657.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The removal of the finished footwear from the last used to bond the sole to the upper of shoes or boots requires fore-shortening of the last to allow the operator to lift by hand the rear quarter of the footwear and to push the shoe or boot off the last. Such for-shortening lasts are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,932,064. The lifting of the heel part of the shoe or boot while the fore-part of the footwear is still tightly on the fore-part of the last can cause damage to the shank of the footwear, as often, substantial force has to be used by the operator on the outside quarter of the footwear.

SUMMARY The invention, insole as one object to eliminate the drawbacks of the present hand operation, provides that the force needed to lift the finished footwear off the last is exerted on the inside of the footwear, i.e. against the insolve surface. The force may be by the hand of the operator increased by suitable levers, or by compressed air or electric power. Exerted on the inside of the footwear, the lifting force has no contact with the outside of the footwear and for this reason, there is no damage to the shoe.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent with reference to the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a mold last according to the invention lifting the shoe by means of a heel piece; and

FIG. 2 shows a mold last using the sole plate for the same purpose.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The last shown in FIG. 1 comprises the leg part 1 supporting the main part including the instep part 2, the toe part 3, as well as a heel part 4. The last is foreshortened in the known manner by making the heel part 4 a separate piece movable in relation to the main part of the last. This movement might be, as shown, above the last sole into the position 4a. Other movements might be used, such as making the last collapse in the heel section, formed by a rubber bubble blown up to full last size, by reducing the air pressure, or by moving the heel part downwardly into the last. The upper, placed on the fore-shortened last, tightened thereon by moving the heel part from the position 4a into the position 4, is united with a soleby bonding the sole to the bottom margin of the upper, whether by vulcanization and/or molding under pressure or by injection of sole material. It is customary to shorten thereafter the length of the last by lifting or lowering the heel section of the last sufficiently to release at least in the heel section of the footwear the tension created by the previous tightening of the upper. Thereafter, the heel section of the footwear can be lifted upwards away from the heel of the last and the entire footwear moved over the last sole surface 5.

In the example of FIG. 1, the method of the invention provides that the heel piece 4 remain in the upper, and by moving into the positions 4b and 4c, forces the upper beyond the toe part of the last, as indicated in dotted lines as the position 17 of the upper, a position which allows the separation of the upper completely from the last without any stress or strain on the footwear. The heel piece 4 glides first on the back cut of the main part of the last and thereafter on the sole surface 5, moved by the levers 7 and 8, actuated by grip 9. A pivot 6 allows the heel piece 4 to tip over on its inner surface 16 to hug the last sole surface 5 in its movement towards the toe of the last. The lever 8 has its pivot point 18 adjustable in relation to the last by means of the hinge lever 10a, and the adjustment 12 of the support 11 secured to the last bottom support 13. Locking means such as the hook 14 are provided to hold the last in the full position. The last leg 1 is substantially reduced in its cross-section B from cross-section C of the leg of the footwear, mainly on the instep side of the last, so as to facilitate the movement of the instep of the boot or shoe caused by the movement of the heel piece as described above.

It is preferred to exert the force pushing the insole forwardly over a large area of the insole, either by extending the sole surface of the heel piece or by using a separate last sole plate to move the footwear by its insole off the last, i.e. to bring the finished footwear into a position where no temporary deformation of the footwear is needed to separate it from the last. The sole plate might be hinged to the last or to leverage moving it. This might take the form of combining the heel piece with a large part or all of the sole plate.

FIG. 2 shows a last with a large part of the sole plate 20, together with the instep 2, hinged at 21 to the toe of the last, to be moved into the positions 20a and 2a respectively. Here again the force lifting the finished footwear from the last is exerted onto the insole of the same. There might be a movable heel piece 4 or a collapsible rubber bubble or other means to release the tightening of the upper, whether they are part of the last sole surface or not.

In other embodiments of lasts, according to the invention, the last sole plate may in the full position of the last be spaced from the instep part of the last so that the same can be collapsed by moving the last sole plate and the instep against each other. Preferably, the last sole plate is supported by the leg of the last and the instep part is movable parallel to the last leg. If more collapse of the main part of the last is needed, the instep part might be movable parallel to the last sole, or in a combined movement in both directions, parallel and perpendicular to the last sole.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for manufacture of footwear comprising a collapsible last having a main portion and a sole plate, means to collapse said last after footwear including a sole has been formed thereon, means within said finished footwear to move the same relative to said last, and means to move said sole plate in relation to said main portion.

2. Apparatus for manufacture of footwear comprising a collapsible last including a forepart and a heel part, linkage means to collapse said last after footwear has been formed thereon and push the sole portion of the footwear off the forepart by moving said heel portion over the forepart towards the toe thereof a sufficient distance to push the sole portion of the footwear off the forepart.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said last also includes a leg part having a reduced cross-section under the instep portion of the last. 

1. Apparatus for manufacture of footwear comprising a collapsible last having a main portion and a sole plate, means to collapse said last after footwear including a sole has been formed thereon, means within said finished footwear to move the same relative to said last, and means to move said sole plate in relation to said main portion.
 2. Apparatus for manufacture of footwear comprising a collapsible last including a forepart and a heel part, linkage means to collapse said last after footwear has been formed thereon and push the sole portion of the footwear off the forepart by moving said heel portion over the forepart towards the toe thereof a sufficient distance to push the sole portion of the footwear off the forepart.
 3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said last also includes a leg part having a reduced cross-section under the instep portion of the last. 